Bin Hammam’s Lawyer Confirms FIFA Drops Bribery Charges

Mohamed bin Hammam’s U.S. lawyer confirmed to Corruption Currents that international soccer’s governing body dropped an investigation into alleged bribery.

Fabrice Coffini/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Mohamed bin Hammam arrives at FIFA headquarters on May 29, 2011.

Eugene Gulland, bin Hammam’s lawyer, said in a brief interview that FIFA closed a probe into alleged bribes paid by bin Hammam to Caribbean soccer officials to get their votes in an election in 2011 to lead the body.

The probe was closed by FIFA chief ethics investigator Michael Garcia due to a lack of new evidence, according to a report by the U.K. Press Association. More coverage is available here and here.

Garcia’s decision to close the bribery probe is contained in a confidential report to FIFA cited by the UKPA article.

“With respect to the events at the CFU conference, the investigation uncovered no new material proof beyond the substantial evidence presented during the proceedings that culminated with the CAS decision vacating Mr Bin Hammam’s ban,” the UKPA quotes the report as saying. “Accordingly, the Investigatory Chamber has closed this matter consistent with the CAS Panel’s guidance regarding newly discovered evidence.”

Gulland said his client remains provisionally suspended by FIFA as it resolves a probe into bin Hammam’s use of cash at the Asian Football Confederation, which he once led.

“We are vigorously challenging the provisional suspension,” Gulland said, adding that the legal team has cases before the Swiss courts and the Court of Arbitration for Sport over it.